The sun rose on a packed schedule for Team India at the World University Games 2025 in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, bringing together moments of brilliance, heartbreak, and relentless spirit across disciplines.
From the archery range to the javelin field, from the decathlon pit to the pole vault runway, Indian athletes showed why sport is as much about courage as it is about medals.
Morning Glory: Bronze in Archery & National Records in Athletics
The day began with promise as India’s Compound Women’s Team of Madhura, Parneet, and Avneet stepped onto the archery range for the bronze medal match against Great Britain. The Indian trio shot confidently, starting with an impressive 59-51 lead. They followed up with 58 each in the next two sets, ultimately securing the bronze with a final score of 231-224. It was India’s third bronze of the Games and a morale boost to start the day.
Parallelly, in athletics, Dev Meena captured attention by breaking the national record in men’s pole vault. Clearing 5.40m in his second attempt, Dev not only secured a spot in the final but also set his third national record this season, having earlier improved from 5.32m in February to 5.35m in May. His calm composure and consistent technique provided a lift to India’s athletics campaign.
Mixed Fortunes on the Field: Decathlon, Javelin & Steeplechase
In the men’s decathlon, India’s Thowfeeq and Jashbir began their grueling challenge with the 100m sprint. Thowfeeq clocked a personal best 11.10s (838 points), placing him 8th initially, while Jashbir ran 11.30s (795 points), in 14th place.
The decathlon moved to long jump, where Thowfeeq improved steadily to 6.84m, gaining 776 points. Jashbir, after an opening jump of 6.23m, built up to 6.71m, collecting 746 points and moving to 12th place overall.
In shot put, however, momentum dipped. Jashbir threw a personal best 12.49m (636 points), but Thowfeeq struggled with a best of 9.97m (484 points). This pushed Jashbir to 13th and Thowfeeq to 17th in the combined standings, leaving them with a tough climb ahead.
Meanwhile, on the javelin field, India’s Sakshi Sharma had a rough outing, recording just 39.84m and 38.73m on her attempts, finishing last in her group. It was below her personal best of 53.41m, highlighting the challenges of peaking at the right time.
Later, Karishma Sanil redeemed some pride in women’s javelin. After starting with 46.41m and 48.93m, she saved her best for last: a clutch throw of 53.12m, sneaking into the final as the 9th best qualifier. It was a display of grit under pressure.
In steeplechase, Ankita Dhyani delivered a standout performance in her 3000m heat, clocking a sub-10 minute time (9:54.79) to finish first and qualify for the final on Sunday.
Heartbreaks & Near Misses: Judo, Rowing, and Sprint Hurdles
The afternoon brought mixed fortunes. In judo, India’s Muskan Rathi defeated Gizem Coskun (Turkey) by Waza-ari but later fell to Jia (China) via ippon in the round of 16. Teammates Sheetal and Yash also exited early, losing their bouts to higher-ranked opponents.
In rowing, Indian boats largely finished last in their heats:
- Men’s eight: 6:38.86
- Women’s four: 7:49.62
- Men’s four: 7:04.22
- Mixed quadruple sculls: 6:52.78
- Men’s double sculls: 7:20.70
- Women’s single sculls (Dhanashree): 9:31.23
- Men’s pair: 7:11.68
These results underline the gap India still needs to close in rowing on the global stage.
In women’s 100m hurdles semifinals, Moumita Mondal ran a creditable 13.42s but finished 7th in her heat, missing the final cut. Earlier in high jump, Pallavi Patil cleared 1.71m but could not go beyond, ending hopes of qualification.
Evening Thrills: Gold and a Painful Silver
As the day wore on, India’s compound mixed team of Kushal and Parneet clinched gold, defeating South Korea 157-154 in a tense final. This was India’s first gold of the Games and showcased their archery depth.
In the men’s compound team final, India held a three-point lead midway but narrowly lost to Turkey 231-232, settling for silver. It stung, especially as the team had earlier defeated the USA (236-229) and Chinese Taipei (235-233) to reach the final.
Javelin Finale & More Athletics Highlights
At night, all eyes turned to the men’s javelin final. Sahil started nervously with 67.66m, then improved to 73.76m, briefly moving into the top eight. Despite his effort, it wasn’t enough for the podium.
Earlier in middle distance, Anu Kumar ran 1:56.33 in the 800m, finishing 7th in his heat, while teammate Rijoy clocked 1:51.73, both missing finals. In women’s 1500m, Kajal finished 13th in her heat (4:50.06).
In the triple jump, Praveen Chithravel cleared 16.25m to qualify for the final, while Md Muhassin could not make a valid jump.
In decathlon high jump, Thowfeeq achieved a personal best 1.91m, while Jashbir ended with a best of 1.70m. Their tenacity, despite lagging behind leaders, stood out.
The day closed as it began: with a mix of medals, records, and “what ifs.” India added:
Bronze (compound women’s team)
Silver (compound men’s team)
Gold (compound mixed team)
New national record in pole vault by Dev Meena
Athletes like Ankita, Karishma, and Dev shone, while near-misses reminded us how narrow the gap is between finals and exits.
With more finals ahead, India ends the day hopeful knowing records, resilience, and rising standards matter as much as medals.
🇮🇳✨ #WUG2025 #TeamIndia #DayReport
